Every April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The goal is to raise awareness to the public of child abuse and neglect. The prevention of child abuse is a community effort. An individual in the community can play a big role in reporting any suspected child abuse. Child abuse can range from physical, emotional, sexual and involve neglect.
According to the UPMC Pinnacle Health, the common signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect are:
Physical abuse – non accidental physical injury. Including bruising, broken bones, or hand print marks. [1]
Emotional Abuse – verbal assault, shaming, ignoring, rejecting, isolating, or threatening.[1]
Sexual Abuse – indecent exposure, exploitation, sexual acts, sexual activities.[1]
Neglect – not having the basic needs that a child needs including food, clothing, shelter, proper hygiene, education and medical attention. [1]
The most common abusers are parents, a parent who as a child was a victim of child abuse, other family members, or an unmarried partner of a parent.
Child abuse can result in a fatality. More than 70% of the children who died as a result of child abuse or neglect were two years of age or younger. More than 80% were not yet old enough for kindergarten. Around 80% of child maltreatment fatalities involve at least one parent as perpetrator. [2]
One very important point to keep in mind is that not one single sign means maltreatment but if a combination of these signs appear then maybe a closer look may be necessary. Ways to report child abuse call the child abuse hotline in your county, child protective services in your county, Childhelp National Child Abuse hotline, or 911.
[1] https://www.pinnaclehealth.org/wellness-library/blog-and-healthwise/blog-home/post/child-abuse-prevention [2] https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/#4-5 Disclaimer: While we always seek to establish accuracy when publishing articles, this piece is not intended to provide legal advice, and should not be used as such. Each individual case will differ and should be discussed with an attorney or legal expert. If you would like to inquire about pursuing a claim, please contact us at (858) 252-0781 or email brett@acclaimlaw.com